Once again, I missed the What I Ate Wednesday party with Peas & Crayons. But, you guys? I’m making up for it with not only one, but two recipes!

Even though I’m not sure what the definition of South-Western food is, this salad has become part of our regular meal rotation lately. I’m assuming corn, beans and avocado are staples in kitchens of the American Southwest, so that’s what I’m going to call this combination. Feel free to educate me, if you know more! I’d love to hear about it!

Southwest Quinoa Salad

1 cup quinoa

1 cup corn (thawed from frozen)

1 can kidney beans (drained well to remove excess sodium)

1 avocado, cubed

1 shallot, thinly sliced

extra sharp cheddar, about 3/4 cup, cubed

cilantro (to your liking – I just garnished the salad with a little cilantro on top)

salt and pepper to taste, chili flakes if you feel like it

lettuce for layering underneath (I used spinach)

easy Maple-Mustard-Balsamic Vinaigrette (*recipe below*)

So, so easy:

Cook quinoa according to instructions.

Toss with the other ingredients.

Scoop onto the bed of greens

Drizzle with vinaigrette.

Eat.

Of course, you can always throw in other veggies you have on hand, such as bell peppers, cucumbers, or tomatoes. That’s why I love these throw-together-in-a-jiffy salads. Be creative!

This Maple-Mustard-Balsamic Vinaigrette is one of my go-to salad dressings, as I usually have most ingredient on hand and it works really well with the above salad.

I usually eyeball it, because I make it quite frequently, but I’m guesstimating the measurements to be the following:

1 T grainy mustard

1 T pure maple syrup

1 T balsamic vinegar

3 T Extra virgin olive oil

Mix all ingredients together until smooth and creamy. I keep leftovers in one of our Wean Greenglass baby food cubes in the fridge for 3-5 days.

It works also really well with a spinach, pear and blue cheese salad, or simple mixed greens, cucumber and tomatoes.

Do you have any quick salad recipes to share? Your go-to dressing? I’d love to hear your favorites in the comments below!

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I’m a food-loving girl, trying to eat healthy, work out, have fun and enjoy life. This is a blog and I express my own opinions and share my own experience with you, so please keep in mind that I’m neither a nutritionist, nor do I work in the food or fitness industries. I just want to entertain people with my opinion and ideas, and maybe even inspire them, just like I got inspired by many bloggers out there. I hope you have fun reading my blog!